Gloria Oliver (35 page)

“Does it need a little something?” The woman looked at her, worry on her face.

Talia couldn’t understand why. “No, it doesn’t need anything. It’s perfect.”

The portly woman beamed. “Ah, thank you so much. Come by my stall on the far side of the landing field and I’ll happily give you some of the finished product in gratitude.”

“I will.” She nodded eagerly, speculating about what the woman might do with the strange mixture and finding herself looking forward to finding out. Thanking her, she turned away to continue on her way.

She didn’t get far, however, before others of those cooking, begged her for her opinion as well. It was as if having done it once, she sent a signal to everyone else she was willing. By the time she was able to make it to Kel’s tray, her mouth was almost numb from all the exotic tastes thrust upon it even as her head buzzed with all the promises of free finished products. She grabbed the tray before anyone else could decide they needed her, and made her escape.

The dining hall was virtually empty, though signs of others having been by were evident, marked by half-emptied baskets and platters. Making sure no one was looking she set her tray down on one of the tables and added things to it from the food sitting there. As soon as she was done, she made her way out the door and to the stairs.

Talia reached the school’s roof without seeing anyone about. Voices whispered to her from below, so, curious, she approached the edge and took a peek. Students were everywhere. It was as if someone had gone to a giant anthill or beehive and given it a good whack. Instrumental music as well as snatches of singing mixed in with the voices. A cheer tore through the crowd nearest her as two acrobats vaulted onto a small stage. The carnival had begun.

“It looks fun doesn’t it?”

She jumped back, almost dropping her tray, startled by the voice behind her. Snapping around, she found Kel standing not far from her, a big grin on his face as he took his own peek over the edge. Her heart hammering inside her, she stared at his feet and saw the chain was still in place. How in the world did he sneak up on her?

“Sorry if I startled you,” he said, stepping away from the edge. “I just heard the music from inside and couldn’t resist taking a look.” He gave her a mischievous smile.

“I better put this inside.” Talia turned away from him and headed toward his room, hoping he’d follow. If anyone spotted the squire, she knew there were those who would take great delight getting him in trouble over it. “I brought some extra things for you today.”

Kel rattled along behind her. She frowned, hearing the chain distinctly, and wondered again how he’d been able to sneak up on her without her being aware of it.

“I appreciate it. Thanks.” His voice was cheery and bright.

Setting his tray on the table, she picked up the other waiting there for her. “I’ll try to get some more for you later.” She started toward the door.

“Don’t forget your promise.” Kel sounded suddenly serious.

Not looking back, she only nodded and left. She’d hoped he’d forgotten about it. As it was, she’d yet to make up her mind on whether she was going to go or not.

“There you are!”

She was just entering the dining hall when a familiar voice called out to her. Turning around, she spotted both Mandee and Yllin heading quickly in her direction.

“I’m glad we found you,” Yllin said. “We were hoping the three of us could enjoy the carnival together.”

“It’s too bad you still have to do this, though.” Mandee pointed at the tray in her hands.

Talia shrugged. “I don’t mind. It really doesn’t take long.”

“They still shouldn’t make you do it,” Yllin insisted. “It makes you miss out on the fun, and you’ve worked just as hard as anyone else here.”

She said nothing as she recalled Kel saying something very similar not too long ago.

“Come on, hurry and get rid of those,” Mandee implored her. “We’re missing who knows what while we stand here talking.”

Talia hesitated a moment longer and then nodded. “It’ll just take me a second.” She left her friends and walked quickly to the kitchen to drop off Kel’s tray. As soon as she made it back, Yllin and Mandee grabbed her by the arms and made a dash for the garden so their day could begin.

Roaring laughter greeted them. A large crowd had gathered by a small stage to watch a man in white makeup trying to do simple acrobatic acts; he was botching them utterly, much to the amusement of those watching.

“What should we do first?” Mandee stared at them, her face radiant with barely restrained excitement.

“Whatever you two decide is fine by me,” Talia told them. She had no idea what kind of amusements the carnival offered.

“Now you’ve done it,” Yllin groaned.

Mandee’s smile grew huge. “Well, since Yllin already gave me her usual ‘I don’t care’ shrug and you’ll do whatever we pick—I’ve decided we’ll start on the left side of the carnival and then work our way in.

We’re going to do it
all
!”

Yllin groaned again, giving Talia a pitying look as Mandee grabbed their hands and led the way through the crowd. She kept on, even after the throng thinned, until they reached the farthest tent on the carnival grounds, feet away from Nertak’s cave.

“Ladies! Come here, come here.” A man dressed in red and bright yellow waved at them to come and join him at the booth. A table sat at the tent’s entrance, bundles of darts set neatly on its top. In the back of the open-faced tent, caricatures were drawn on a large board with cushions growing from each of them. The cushions were part of the art and represented large noses, buttocks, fruits, and other more personal things. The vendor grinned from ear to ear as they came close. “How about trying out your skills, ladies? The rewards for success will be great!”

Mandee’s eyes shone. “What do we need to do?”

“It is simplicity itself. Grab up three darts and aim at the cushions.” He held a dramatic pose. “For just trying to hit them, you get a prize. If you show fortitude and strike one cushion, you will not go away wanting. If you hit two, as well as pride a reward will be yours. And if you hit three, humbling the rest of us with your skill, a treasure awaits such fortune.” His bright smile was infections. “Will you try?”

Mandee giggled with delight. “Oh, yes. We all will.” She instantly grabbed three of the darts.

Talia stepped to Mandee’s right and Yllin to her left, and each took up three darts of their own. Back home, she had played this kind of game before. The small fairs which came through every year normally put up one of these booths. They too boasted of great prizes, but it was incredibly hard to win. Her father explained to her once the darts were of unusually low quality and weren’t balanced, thus cutting down the chances for success. It was how the owner made his money and how he could boast the large, tempting prizes he did. Though how they would make money here, when all the games were free and they gave prizes away just for trying them, she wasn’t sure.

She readied her first dart for a throw and grew more puzzled still. She didn’t know much about darts, but these felt different from the ones she’d handled before. Suddenly eager to try, she aimed at the cartoon of a stooped-over grandmother working in a garden and let fly. She hit the woman’s back and not what she’d been aiming for. She was successful on her second try though and almost got another on her third. Mandee did about the same, though Yllin was totally unsuccessful.

“That was wonderful, ladies!” He handed Yllin a piece of paper for free food at a nearby stand. He gave Mandee and Talia the same, but they each received two. “The prizes do get better with more successes.

Care to try again?”

Mandee already held her next set of darts in hand. “Yes!”

Talia fared no better the second time than she did the first, but it was better than she ever achieved at home. Yllin got one cushion with her final dart, momentarily brightening her usually sour features. Mandee punctured two.

“Well done,” the vendor said with feeling. “More coupons for the two of you, but as for you, miss…” He turned his hand and presented to her a yellow gem. It seemed to appear out of nowhere.

“Thank you!” Mandee was delighted. She took her prize and tucked it away.

Talia frowned at this, wondering how they could afford to give such things away.

“Care to try your luck a third time?”

“Oh, could we?” Mandee looked hopefully at the two of them.

Yllin gave her a scowl. “I think we should go try something else.”

“We can always come back later,” Talia added quickly. “We have all week.”

“Oh, all right.” Mandee didn’t look as disappointed as Talia thought she would. “Let’s go!” She dragged them off to next closest game.

By the time the morning was over, the three of them had joined a mock sword fight, sung in a singing contest, and even volunteered to hold small parts in a short comedic play. The three of them used what coupons they won to get food from the stalls scattered everywhere. Talia found not all of them needed to use the school’s kitchen to create their wares. Many brought with them their own small stoves or grills, which they set inside the tents or just outside them to cook. Others sold fruit or pre-made goods and didn’t need to cook at all.

Even stuffed as they were after their third or fourth snack, it was hard not to get even more as the mouthwatering scents drifted out to them as they walked on. Tired and full, the three of them finally stopped to rest on some benches set beside one of the eating stalls. Talia looked up at the sky, speculating at what the time might be. She couldn’t see the clock face at the top of the school from there, but she could see the sun had moved past its zenith in the sky.

“I’m late!” She jumped to her feet, mentally kicking herself for having lost track of time.

“Where are you going?” Yllin asked her, even as she licked her fingers of the last of the powdered sugar from one of her latest snacks.

“I’ve got to take Clarence and Kel their lunch,” she answered distractedly, wondering how really late she was.

“Did you need us to help?” Mandee asked her.

Talia considered the offer for a moment and then shook her head. “Thanks anyway. Did you want me to look for you when I’m done?”

Yllin gave a satisfied sigh. “We’ll be here I think. I need to give some of this food time to digest.”

She nodded. “I’ll be back as fast as I can.”

On the way to the dining hall, she spotted a food vendor without a line and quickly purchased a couple of meat rolls from it as well as a sweet tart. Trying not to drop them, she hurried into the hall to pick up a chunk of cheese as well as some fruit. She then headed for the kitchen.

The pandemonium of the morning was no longer evident, though a few people still lingered by vats of strange concoctions. Making her way outside, she hid one of the rolls and the tart behind the second barrel and hid the other roll as well as the cheese and fruits inside the other. She hitched up the dolly to the latter and went on her way.

Getting to the dragon habitat proved difficult if not slightly perilous. She was forced to dodge students, watchers, teachers, and others as they clogged the narrow byways between the tents. By the time she made it to the relative safety of the dormitory, she was covered in a thin sheen of sweat from having to come to abrupt stops, dodging and taking off at a moment’s notice to get past the living flood unscathed.

The sun-protected habitat was a little cooler than outdoors and she gave a sigh of relief. As she went on to Clarence’s stall, she found the hum of voices outside intruded even this far. She was sure it wouldn’t be pleasant to listen to the merriment all day, especially when one could take no part in it.

“I was able to get you a few things.” Talia spoke quietly in case any of the other current tenants were listening. Clarence lay curled on the floor, much as he was in the morning, but this time actually opened an eye when he heard her speak.

Not waiting, she unloaded the barrel off her dolly and went back to get the next. After she was done with him, she picked up Kel’s tray. She pushed herself to hurry to get there, only too aware of how late she was, and was panting by the time she reached the roof.

Kel opened the door as soon as she knocked, and she rushed inside, apologizing for being late. “I brought some extra stuff, I hope it’s okay.”

“It’ll be wonderful,” he told her with a smile.

“Again, I’m sorry I was late. I won’t do it again, but I have to go.” She quickly retrieved his tray and left.

She zoomed from the room, barely glancing at him.

Dumping the tray in the kitchen and then hurrying outside, she stopped in a relatively quiet passage to get her breath back. Hands over her knees as she took great gulps of air, she looked up and found her attention trapped as she spotted a watcher intently studying a boy getting ready to throw a knife at a target. Talia shifted to watch him as well, and saw him hit the bull’s eye. His second throw struck there as well and his third wasn’t far off. Straightening up to go on her way, she glanced at the watcher again; he made notes in a small notebook and then nonchalantly put it away.

As Talia walked on to join her friends, she mulled over the watcher’s actions but then quickly dismissed them.

“Hi!” She found Yllin and Mandee where she’d left them. “I hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long.”

“Nope,” Mandee told her cheerily. “I hadn’t even gotten terribly impatient yet.” She gave her a wide grin. “I’ve been keeping busy trying to figure out what we should go do next.”

“You’ll love this.” Yllin didn’t sound thrilled.

“Come on!” Mandee grabbed Talia’s hand and dragged her off.

The afternoon passed very quickly. First they entered a pottery contest and learned the rudimentary skills of how to use a pottery wheel. Of the three of them, Yllin actually seemed to have quite a flair for the craft. She didn’t seem to mind it much, either.

They’d just finished a speed-painting contest when Yllin spotted an offering from one of the stalls nearby.

“Cherries!” A number of students turned around at her excited shout even as she followed it with a delighted squeal. “I love cherries!”